Apparatus for reducing the temperature of gases or vapors.



No; 7||,4|9. Patented Oct. I4, 1902.

r. L. DYER.

APPARATUS FOR REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF GASES 0R VAPORS. (Applicationfiled Apr. 8, 1901.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES FRANK L. DYER, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TOPATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES s.

BRADLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming. part of Letters Patent No. 711,419, dated October14, 1902.

Original application filed March 3, 1899. Serial No. 707,599. Dividedand this application filed April 6, 1901. Serial To all whom it mayconcern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK L. DYER, aciti: zen of the United States,residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and-State of New Jersey,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forReducing the Temperature of Gases or Vapors, of which the following is aspecification. I

This invention relates to an apparatus for re carryingout a method ofreducing the temperature of gases set forth in my application Serial No.707,599, of which this application is a division.

The apparatus which I have in vented for the carrying out of this methodcomprises, essentially, first, a compressor for compressing the desiredgas or vaporsimple, complex, or compound-whereby the temperature thereofwill be increased; second, a cooler or condenser to permit thecompressed gas or vapor to be cooled and which may be either influencedby the'atmospheric air or circulating water or by a separaterefrigerating system; third, a primary cooling device wherein the bulkof the compressed gas or vapor will be subjected to a cooling efiectproduced by the expansion of a portion thereof either inthe primary orsecondarylcooling device, and, fourth, a secondary cooling 3o. devicewherein the bulk of the compressed gas or vapor cooled in the firstcooling device will be subjected to a second cooling eifect produced bythe expansion of a portion of the gas or vapor cooled in the firstcooling device.

The apparatus may comprise any further additional, cooling devices forsecuring further and additional cooling effects.

Preferably the apparatus also comprises a receiver for supplyingthe gasor vapor. to the 40 compressor and whi'ch is connected with the coolingdevices, whereby the expanded gas or vapor from the cooling devices willbe returned to the receiver to be again compressed. Manifestly the gasor vapor thus returned from the cooling devices will be ofa relativelylow temperature, thereby representing energy which is conserved by thusreturning it to the compressor. Since the expanded portion of the gas orvapor which is expandedin the secondary cooling device is of a lower (Nomodel.)

temperature than the expanded portion of the gas or vapor which isexpanded in the on primary cooling device, the apparatus pref- .erablyconsists in providing conduits for re turning the expanded gas or vaporfrom the secondary cooling device through the primary cooling device andthence to the receiver. 'In this way efficiencyis increased, since thereduced temperature of the expanded gas or ivapor from the secondarycooling device is futilized in reducing'the temperature of thecompressed gas or vapor in the primary cooling device. When theapparatus is provided with additional cooling devices, the return- Aconduits for the expanded gas or vapor there from extend, preferably,through the pieced-- ing cooling devices. 1

' In order that the invention may be better 'understood,'attention isdirected to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification, and in which is illustrated a diagrammatic view of thepreferred form of apparatus embodying my invention and wherein threecooling devices are shown.

.1 is a receiving-tank which is supplied with the gas or vapor to becooled. When it is desired to employ the invention forfthe. coolingofair, the entrance-pipe 2 communicates directly with the atmosphere.Preferably a check-valve 3 is provided in the entrance-pipe, which opensdownwardly by suc-' tion to permit the gas or vapor to enter the;-

receiver 1. Y a

4 is a compressor of any suitable type, thesuction-pipe 5 of whichconnects with the receiver 1. -.,I illustrate a simple compressor; butobviously it may be provided with two or any greater number ofcompressing-cylinders. A discharge-pipe 6 from the compressor connectswith a suitable cooler or condenser 0 'for reducing the temperature ofthe com- 'pressedgas or vapor. For this purpose the discharge-pipe maybe formed into a coil 7, which may be exposed to the air or be immersedin a tank of water 8, having a constant circulation through thecirculating- ,pipes- 9 9. Obviously the cooling medium may be a separaterefrigerating system,or the tank 8 may be supplied with cooled brine.

10 represents the primary cooling device,

which in its preferred form comprises a receptacle 11, having a coil 12therein, which constitutes a continuation of the pipes (S and 7. Anexpansion-pipe 13 leads into the receptacle 11 and is provided with anexpansion-valve 14 of any suitable type to permit the proper reductionin pressure of the gas or vapor. Apipe 15 connects the receptacle 11with the receiver 1 to convey back t0.the receiver the expanded gas orvapor from the receptacle. The coil 12 may be provided with a suitabletrap 16, having a valve 17 for receiving any water which may becondensed out of the gas or vapor, which water may be drawn ofi fromtime to time.

18 represents a secondary cooling device, which also preferablycomprises a receptacle 19 and'a coil 20 therein, which coil forms acontinuation of the coil 12. The coil 20 may be of a smaller capacitythan the coil 12. An expansion-pipe 21 leads into the receptacle 19 andis provided with an expansion-valve 22 therein. The pipe 23 from thesecondary cooling device leads, preferably, to the primary coolingdevice, whereby the expanded gas or vapor from the secondary coolingdevice will be conveyed to the primary cooling device, and thence to thereceiver 1. Obviously, however, the pipe 23 may connect directly withthe receiver 1, although I consider the former arrangement preferable.

24- represents a tertiary cooling device, which may or may not be used,as desired. This preferably comprises a receptacle 25, having a coil 26therein, the latter constituting a continuation of the coil 20.

27 is an expansion-pipe leading into the receptacle and having anexpansion-valve 28 therein. The pipe 29 from the tertiary cooling devicepreferably leads to the secondary cooling device, whereby the expandedgas or vapor from the tertiary cooling device will pass successivelythrough the secondary and primary cooling devices and thence to thereceiver 1.

Any additional number of cooling devices may be employed, if desired.

The outlet 30 from the final cooling device-in this case, the tertiarycooling deviceis provided with a valve 31, by which the cooled gas orvapor may be drawn off. When the cooling is effected to the point ofliquefaction, the liquefied gas or vapor will be drawn off through thispipe. All of the pipes, receptacles, 850., are preferably heavilyinsulated with an insulating-covering 32, of any suitable character.

The operation will be as follows: Upon starting the compressor the gasor vapor will be drawn into the receiver 1 through the pipe 2 and pastthe check-valve 3. This gas or vapor will be compressed by thecompressor. If the gas or vapor which is being compressed is notatmospheric air, the Valve 31 will be opened to permit air from thesystem to be expelled. The compression of the gas or vapor results inthe conversion of the latent heat into sensible heat, whereby a rise intemperature is effected. The compressed gas or vapor will now be cooledin the cooling device until in itscompressed condition its temperaturehas been reduced to the proper point. A small portion of the compressedand cooled gas or vapor is now allowed to expand past theexpansion-valve 14 and through the expansion-pipe 13 into the receptacle11. In thus expanding its temperature will be reduced to an extentproportional to the degree of expansion and the cooling to which it issubjected in the cooler. The compressed gas or vapor in the coil 12 willthus be reduced in temperature, whereby the gas or vaporin the coil 12will be of the same pressure as the gas or vapor in the coil 7, but willbe of a lower temperature than the latter. The expanded gas or vaporfrom the receptacle 11, being obviously cooler than. the gas orvaporentering the receiver 1 through the pipe 2, is returned to the receiverby the pipe 15, whereby the energy will be conserved. A portion of thecooled compressed gas or vapor which has been cooled in the primarycooler 10 is now allowed to expand through the expansion-valve 22 andexpansion-pipe 21 into the receptacle 19. A furtherreduction intemperature is thus secured, which results in the lowering of thetemperature of the compressed gas or vapor in the coil 20. The expandedgas or Vapor from the secondary cooler is conveyed through the pipe 23to the primary cooler, where it assists in the cooling of the compressedgas or vapor in the coil 12. It is thence carried through the pipe 15 tothe receiver. If a tertiary or other additional coolers are used, theoperations described are repeated, each cooling device resulting in alowering of the temperature of the gas or vapor in its coolingcoil, butwithout correspondingly affecting the pressure.

It is obvious that when the apparatus is properly operating the onlyadditional gas or vapor which is supplied to the system will be thatentering through the pipe 2 and which will be only of suflicientquantity to compensate for the diminution in volume of the gas or vaporin the system due to the lowering of its temperature or to its actualliquefaction.

It will be obvious that after the apparatus has started and expanded gasor vapor from the secondary cooler begins to flow through the primarycooler and from the tertiary cooler through the secondary cooler thequantity of gas or vapor passing through the expansion-valves 14 and 22may be reduced to secure the same cooling eifect. Because of this fact Ihave determined that the method can be carried out by closing the valves14 and 22 at all times or by dispensing with them, whereby only a singleexpanding operation will take place. Assuming the expansion pipes andvalves 13 14 and 21 22 to be dispensed with, the operation of the apparatus illustrated in the carrying out of the method will be asfollows: The compressed gasoitvapor after havinghad its temperaturereduced ,in the cooler or condenser fills thecoils 12, 20, and 26 underthe pressure of the compressor and at the temperature obtained in thecooler or condenser. By now allowing for an expansion of the gas orvapor through the expansion-valve 28 and pipe 27 a reduction oftemperature in the tertiary cooler is effected,which will result in thelowering of the temperature of the compressed gas or vapor in the coil26. lhe expanded gas or vapor from the tertiary cooler and whichobviously is of a'lower temperature than the compressed gas or vapor inthe coil 20 will be conducted by the pipe 29 into the secondary cooler,where it results in the lowering of the temperature of the gas or vaporin the coil 20. From the secondary cooler the expanded gas or vaporpasses into the primary cooler, where a lowering of the tern-- peratureof the gas or vapor in' the coil 12 is effected. It will be seen thatunder the effect of the expanded gas or vapor from the tertiary coolerthe temperature of the gas or vaporin the coil 26 will be less than thatin the coil 12. The reduction of the temperature of the gas or vapor inthe coil 20 results in a gradual diminution in the temperature of thegas or vapor which passes through the expansion valve 28 and pipe 27,which results in a gradual diminution in the temperature of the gas orvapor in the coil 26 and in the coil 20 of the secondary cooler and inthe coil 12 of the primary cooler. In this way a gradual and continuedreduction in temperature of the gas or vapor throughout the apparatuswill be effected until the ultimate temperature is reached.

In describing the operation of my apparatus as it will take place whenonly a single expansion is effected I have referred to the tertiarycooler. It will be obvious that this operation may be effectivelycarried out when only a primary and secondary cooler are employed. Theexpansion of the gas or vapor in the secondary cooler results in thelowering of the temperature of the compressed gas or vapor therein, andthe passage of the expanded gas or vapor from the secondary coolerresults in a lowering of the tempera ture of the compressed gas or vaporin the primary cooler, which in turn results in a lowering of thetemperature of the expanded gas or vapor in the secondary cooler, and soon.

The cooling devices of my'apparatus consist, preferably, of a coil, inwhich the gas or vapor is maintained under pressure, located in areceptacle in which the circulation of the expanded gas or vapor isefiected. It will be understood, however,that these elements may bereversed and that the gas or vapor under pressure maybe maintained inthe receptacle, while the expanded gas or vapor may be circulatedthrough the coils.

Having now described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

f]. An apparatus for refrigerating and liquefying air or other gas,comprising a com'-.

pressor with means for absorbing the heat generated bycompression,arefrigerating-conduit connected to the compressor, a seriesof expansion devices having supply connections to successive pointsalong the conduit of successively lower temperature, and exhaustconnectionsfrom such expansion devices arranged in conducting proximityto portions of the refrigerating-conduit of successively lowertemperature.

2. In an apparatus for reducing the temperature of agas or vapor, thecombination with a compressor for compressing the gas or vapor, of acooler for reducing the temperature due to compression, a primary coolerhaving a closed conduit for containing the or vapor, of a cooler forreducing the tem-' perature due to compression, a primary cooler havinga closed conduit for containing the compressed gas or vapor, a secondarycooler having a closed conduit for containing the compressed gas orvapor, an expansion device between the'secondaryand primary coolers topermit the expansion of the compressed gas or vapor from the closedconduit of the primary cooler into proximity with the closed conduit ofthe secondary cooler, and a returnpipe for directing the expanded gas orvapor from the secondary cooler into proximity with the closed conduitof the primary cooler, substantially as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for reducing the temperature of a gas or vapor, thecombination with a compressor means-for reducing the temperature due tocompression, of a primary cooling device, a secondary cooling device,closed conduits in the cooling devices for containing the compressed gasor vapor, an expansion device between the two cooling devices forpermitting an expansion of the gas or vapor from the closed conduit ofthe first cooling device into proximity with the closed conduit of thesecond cooling device, a receiver connected to the compressor, andconduits for conducting the expanded gas or vaporfrom the second coolingdevice to the receiver, substantially as set forth.

5. In an apparatus for reducing the temperature of a gas or vapor, thecombination IIO with a compressor for compressing the gas or vapor, of acooler for reducing the temperature due to compression, a primarycooling device, a secondary cooling device, closed conduits in thecooling devices for containing the compressed gas or vapor, an expansiondevice between the two cooling devices for permitting an expansion ofthe gas or vapor from the closed conduit of the first cooling deviceinto proximity with the closed conduit of the secondary cooling device,a receiver connected to the compressor, and conduits [O for conductingthe expanded gas or vapor from the secondary cooling device through theprimary cooling device and thence to the receiver, substantially as setforth.

FRANK L. DYER. Witnesses:

JNo. R. TAYLOR, AROHIBALD G. REESE.

